My stake is that the statement above makes all the sense.
"its performance and driving dynamics do not quite live up to its sporty looks"

This car was designed by 2 great designer girls but at the end of the day it misses testosterone... Of course...There was non on the blueprints.

I had Z3 and the first Z4 (that by the way it was the car that I have more fun ever) and even though the design change was dramatic, controversial and for some ugly... it kept the manhood intact.

Same thing happens on the SLK were critics call girls car.

I personally feel that this current Z4 went way up on accessories, toys and it is over loaded with thing roadster driver don't need. And by the way... does anybody notice that this model is driven most of the time with the top up? Well.. let me tell you, I been in Florida for 20 years and Z3 and Z4's are always with top down... This new one most of them are driven with the heavy metallic top al the way up. Why? because woman and old people don't want their hair messed up. Clearly this car is attracting a different crowd.

Formula is simple. Go back to the basics and leave the chicks at the Kitchen :-)

Holy sexist rant, Batman! That's one of the most offensive things I've read on this forum.

I haven't heard such a load of crap for ages!! Those who are slagging off the E89 haven't got a clue, and more importantly haven't got a Zed so they don't know what they are on about!! Go drive one, live with it everyday then you can comment. What a load of bollocks about handling better with the roof down and Caymen being the same money!! 2.9 Caymen is 50 grand and 28i Zed is 34 grand in the UK with roughly the same options, you're talking out your backsides!!

Give me a small, lightweight car, with a manual soft top, big motor, big brakes that handles decent and looks good and I will be happy.

A manual soft top? As in you have to get out of the car in order to install it?

The only car I can think of is the old boxter targa. Or you can completely remove the top and the hydraulic system from an E89 and buy an umbrella

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Little known facts about BMW: 1) The N54 is still in production and used in the current Z4 35i and 35is. 2) In a Z4 you can get sport+ steering combined with normal suspension etc by selecting DSC=off. (Update: DSC=off also offers sports steering in the M135i) 3) All Z4s with 19" wheels are still only offered with the worst performing OEM tires ever sold with a DCT equipped BMW (Potenza RE 050 RFT).

almost 2 years ago i was looking for a sporty 2 seater as a toy/project car. never liked the looks off the boxster and the carrera was out of my budget. i was faced with these 3 choices; e86 bmw z4m coupe, e89 bmw z4 35i, and porsche cayman s. drove each car and instantly felt which car had better or worse characteristics than the other.

cayman s felt awesome. very balanced and agile. inteior was alright but seats were dissapointing. i also still wasnt in love with the exterior and they were a bit common on city roads (but looks are opinionated)

z4m coupe was raw, and demanding. i felt very connected to this car and the design turned heads at every corner. interior was awesome, however the dash felt a bit cheap. seats were very nice and the dry carbon trim with leather stitching really looked sharp.

z435 was very smooth and comfortable. excellent interior and option list. however driving it after the z4m made it feel "numb". probably much more fitting as a daily driver, and left alot to be desired on a weekend spirited drive. the folding top is a really neat feature since you get the best of both worlds and dont have to deal with soft top maintanace.

i ended up choosing the z4m coupe because it was most fitting for ME. i loved the raw feel, sound and heavy hydrolic steering. the s54 is a work of art, and the curves and lines of the coupe were really striking to me. there really is no car better than the other, just depends what you are looking for and what you use it for. i do wish they reintroduced the z4m coupe however, and gave it a unique and individual motor, not just a tuned motor from a 3 series. make it a real "m"